


Happily Ever After Christmas

by Jackofallsorts



Category: Ghostbusters (2016), Ghostbusters (Movies 1984-1989), Ghostbusters - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 22:53:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17170973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jackofallsorts/pseuds/Jackofallsorts
Summary: Peter reflects over some of the Christmases he's had over his life. He had seen every version of them, all of the mess and chaos, every version except that perfect, happy ending Christmas.





	Happily Ever After Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Written for worldoftheskeptic on tumblr](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Written+for+worldoftheskeptic+on+tumblr).



Christmas.

  
He sighed as he laid on his back in bed, mulling over just what the word was supposed to mean and what it meant for him. He had never bought into the happy, hallmark-esc version of the holiday. That’s not how things worked, that’s not how life went. Holidays ranged from chaotic to messy to horrible to downright sad, and the ones he had experienced were no exception.

  
He scrubbed a hand over his face, sighing again. He had seen his fair share of every version of them, all of the mess and chaos, every version except that perfect, happy ending Christmas.

******  
The tiny nine year old sat near the tree, watching his cousins push and shove at each other to get towards the presents first. Peter didn’t bother to get caught up in the fight, he knew he’d just be shoved to the back of the line anyway.

“Good morning, Peter,” His aunt said, ruffling his hair a little, “Merry Christmas.”  
  
“Merry Christmas.” He said, giving her a small smile in return.  
  
“Are you excited to see what Santa brought you?”  
  
“Santa isn’t real.”  
  
His aunt frowned, looking concerned.  
  
“What makes you think that?”  
  
“Because he’s not. He can’t be real.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“Because that kind of magic isn’t real, no one can get around the world that fast and animals other than birds can’t fly.”  
  
“Nine years old and already such a little skeptic,” She said, shaking her head at him. “Try not to say that kind of stuff around your little cousins, okay?”

Peter nodded, not sure if he was more glad to have a confirmation on what he had thought or disappointed to hear it. In the end, it didn’t really matter to him. What he wanted most couldn’t be made or bought, not by his aunt or magical men in red suits. It was something so simple, something so easy to give, and yet it seemed to be the one thing he never got. He was always so good around this time of year, even without believing, just in case that would some how tip the scales of fate in his favor.

As soon as his aunt gave them the go ahead, the children ripped wildly into the presents, each squealing with delight at their gifts. Peter couldn’t help the bright smile that came to his face upon opening up the beautiful train set that ‘Santa’ had gotten him He mouthed a ‘thank you’ to his aunt and got a smile in return for it. He was happy, thrilled and thankful for the gifts he had received, but his heart held out for that one last thing. The same, simple thing he asked for every year.

Around the time that dinner was ready, when all the others had run off to play with their toys and the remains of shredded paper had been cleaned up and thrown away, his aunt finally took pity on him. She knelt, pulling the boy into a hug.

“I’m sorry, Peter… I don’t think she’s coming this year.”

****

“Not all Christmases were like that,” He thought to himself. “There were a couple were mom actually showed. And there was also the year that Frank tried to make a trap for Santa and ended up gluing herself to the fireplace. That was fun.”

Chaotic with a dash of heartbreak at the end, that pretty much summed up his Christmas’s as a kid. He had sworn when he moved out that holidays would be different; great parties, good times. He shook his head, laughing a little.

Great parties, yeah right.

*****  
“Open the damn door, Spengs, I know you’re in there.”

Egon reluctantly opened the door, glaring tiredly at his roommate.

“What is it.”  
  
“Christmas. We’re celebrating.”  
  
“I was raised Jewish.”  
  
“Happy late Hanukkah then. Get your ass out here.”  
  
Egon sighed deeply, rubbing a hand over his face.  
  
“If he doesn’t want to come out, he doesn’t have to, Peter,” A small voice from the other room called.  
  
“You nearly let yourself freeze to death because you forgot the dining halls are closed and got locked out in a blizzard,” Peter snapped back. “You don’t get a say in this.”

He fought to hold back a smirk as that got the exact reaction he had hoped it would from his roommate. Egon’s tired, annoyed demeanor had immediately changed to one of worried concern.

“Is that Raymond?”  
  
“Yeah. Little buddy got stuck in the snow. I found him when I went out to grab something from my car. Figured it be better for him to come back here and get warm rather than risk hypothermia on the trek back to the dorm.”  
  
“It’s not that bad out!” Ray cried  
  
“Says the guy who is still shaking like a leaf.”

Egon shifted uncomfortably and for a moment, Peter wasn’t sure if his plan would work. While it had been obvious to Peter from the get-go that the two genius would eventually get along together perfectly, they hadn’t exactly clicked just yet. Egon was so reluctant to let new people in and Ray was like a lost puppy, begging for someone to treat him nicely rather than kick him but too afraid to ask. But considering that Ray was still nearly frozen and he wasn’t the best at taking care of himself let alone someone else, Peter didn’t think that Egon would be able to ignore this.  
Not to mention, Peter really needed a distraction. Christmas brought back bad memories, first of his mom and then of Maisie.

“How long was he outside for?” Egon asked finally, frowning as he stepped into the living room to look at their friend, who squirmed in his seat at the attention.  
  
“Really, I’m fine! I wasn’t out there for all that long.”  
  
“Two hours is a long time, Francine,” Peter said, ruffling Ray’s hair. “I’m amazed you didn’t turn into the abdominal snowman. It’s a Christmas Miracle.”  
  
“Abominable, Peter. And those are only said to be located in the Himalayas, not New York,”  
  
“Siberia and East Asia as well,” Egon added softly, focusing more on the floor than the other two men in the room.  
  
Ray’s eyes went wide and he stared for a moment before a bright grin came to his face.  
  
“Exactly! Though I’ve always found information on Mae Nak and Tao Dan Park to be more interesting when it comes to legends of East Asia.”  
  
“I’ve found the accounts of Mae Nak to be intriguing as well. Given the shrine that was created for her, some sort of energy has to be lingering there or average civilians wouldn’t deem it necessary.”  
  
Peter blinked.  
  
“Spengs…you actually believe this stuff? Ray’s been telling me these ghost stories for weeks!”  
  
“There are many examples of scientific documentation and evidence that support the undeniable existence of paranormal entities, Peter,” Egon said dryly. “One of my own thesis includes information regarding the-“  
  
“Nope.” Peter said, cutting him off quickly. “Don’t want to hear it. You and Ray keep your ghost stories to yourselves. I’m going to make dinner for us.”  
  
“You forgot to go grocery shopping this week. The only thing we have in the apartment is beer and ramen noodles.”  
  
“Then it’s going to be the best damn Christmas dinner of beer and ramen you’ve ever had, isn’t it?”

Peter couldn’t help but smile as Ray’s barely hidden giggles followed him into the kitchen. Sure, it wasn’t the sort of grand party that he had hoped for when he moved out, and Spengs and Stantz with their talk of ghosts and ghouls weren’t the sort of company he had hoped to be keeping. But he couldn’t help but laugh. Pathetic as it was, it was sort of nice.   
  
The start of something strange, but good.  
  
******  
  
He only had a minute to enjoy the sweetness of that memory before the ache that always came with it settled in. He had thought of that first Christmas, and all the others he had spent with those two men, every year since he had lost them. He wished so badly he could go back. Things had gotten better, of course, but nothing could compare to what he had lost.

At least this year seemed to be off to a better start than the last.  
  
*****  
Martin Heiss glared out the window at the snow as it fluttered down, looking stupidly pretty on a day that it had no business being so in his opinion. He had nearly fallen when he got up that morning, the alcohol in his system not having had time to dissipate before he was already reaching for another glass. That was the only way he could get through this damned holiday. The bars would all be closed, but luckily his own liquor cabinet was well stocked.

  
He made his way over to the cabinet and grabbed a bottle from the shelf, not caring which one it was. There was no one around to see him, no one around to impress with his nice suits and hat. He felt no reason to bother to keep up the usual persona he wore, nor try to stir up noise in the silence that surrounded him.  
  
Silence. That’s all he had now. No more blaring alarms at all hours of the night, no more whirring of machines that were in truth too deadly to be handled, no more rowdy laughing or teasingly annoyed shouts. Silence.  
  
But that’s what he had wanted, wasn’t it? That’s what he had asked for. That’s what he had demanded when he went to the office of Walter Peck and enlisted the man to help him wipe the name of the Ghostbusters off the face of the planet and out of everyone’s minds.

  
A bitter smirk came to his face as be brought his drink to his lips. It was Christmas then too, when the final paperwork was signed. What a great present that had been to Ray. And the look of complete heartbreak he had had on his face was the gift that kept on giving, one that returned to Peter every Christmas since.

But Peter Venkman was gone, and Martin Heiss didn’t care. Martin did things differently. He signed the papers and did the things that Peter Venkman couldn’t stomach to do.

  
Martin Heiss didn’t care about Ray Stantz, because Ray Stantz didn’t exist. Martin Heiss didn’t have to worry about how Winston Zeddemore managed, because he never knew anyone by that name. Martin Heiss didn’t have to wake up screaming from nightmares about the people he cared about being attacked by ghosts or gods or Carpathian war lords when no one was around to help them, because Martin Heiss didn’t believe in any of those things

  
He took another drink, finishing the glass before pouring another.

  
Martin Heiss didn’t have to think about Christmas and everything he once had, because he never had anything of importance on this stupid holiday. He had never lost anything worth missing on Christmas.

  
But Peter Venkman had.

  
********  
He couldn’t hold back the shudder that ran through him as the ache in his heart threatened to overwhelm him. But just as the dark of his thoughts were about to tumble further into the black abyss of self loathing, a gentle hand against his chest jarred him back to the present.

  
“You’re sighing like a miserable old man,” A soft, sleepy voice came. “And it’s too early for that.”  
  
“I am an miserable old man,” He replied, huffing a little as he looked down at the brown hair woman who had put her head on his shoulder.  
  
“Mmmm….but you don’t have to be this early in the morning.”  
  
He shook his head, letting out a small breath of laughter as he wrapped his arms around her.  
  
“Besides, as much as I find the holiday to a bit ridiculous, it is Christmas. Ray might never forgive you if you don’t at least smile and pretend to enjoy it for Kevin’s sake.”  
  
“That’s assuming that they haven’t burned the apartment down by the time we get out of bed.”  
  
“You’re cruel. Ray isn’t that bad of a cook.”  
  
“You’re right, I think the last time he made toast, it was almost edible.”  
  
“I didn’t hear you volunteering for kitchen duty.”  
  
“That because I’m too busy being a miserable old man.”  
  
She laughed softly, moving to sit up a little while still laying on his chest.  
  
“You’re ridiculous.” She said, giving him a gentle smile. “How on earth did I manage to end up with a ridiculous man like you?”  
  
“I think it had something to do with my incredibly good looks and dazzling charm.”  
  
“Oh please,” Rebecca scoffed, lying back down again. Peter kissed her head, heart feeling much lighter than before as she looked up at him again “I think Ray and Kevin can spare us a little while longer, don’t you?”  
  
He couldn’t help but grin as he kissed her.

  
******

  
Had Christmas always been this exhausting? Peter couldn’t remember, but he certainly never remembered being this tired come Christmas evening before.

  
The day had been chaotic, filled with laughter and the chaos that he had come to accept as normal throughout the past year. After breakfast at the apartment, which he had had to begrudgingly admit was decent, they had headed over to the firehouse to celebrate with the girls. Kevin was absolutely thrilled at the size of the tree they had gotten, and even more excited when Holtzmann had powered up the lights using a machine that probably would have made certain former members of the EPA very upset. Abby and Ray agreed to let Kevin open a gift for Mike Hat early, if only as a way of keeping the man distracted by trying to put the Santa costume on the Pomeranian.

  
Dinner together had been a slightly less chaotic affair after Winston got there. He and Patty had banned most of the team from the kitchen, with the exception of Rebecca and Erin. He had forgotten just how good of a cook Winston was, and that it clearly ran in the family. He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen a table set with so much food, and all of it tasting good.

  
Gifts were exchanged and unwrapped after the table was cleared and dishes were clean. The gifts he received were different, that’s for sure, ranging from the odd proton cane from Holtzmann to the sentimental photo album from Ray. Kevin had by far received the most gifts, though no one seemed to mind. It was loud, it was far from what most would describe as a “normal” Christmas.

  
But it was happy.

  
They said their goodbyes and made their way back to their apartment, arms loaded with gifts and leftovers that the girls had insisted they take. Ray ended up carrying a lot of it in, as Rebecca had to help Peter with the wheelchair due to snow and Kevin could barely keep his eyes open. Rebecca made hot chocolate and cider for them after they had gotten settled, though Kevin fell asleep long before it was ready.  
  
Peter still didn’t believe in those hallmark, happily ever after-esc endings. They were too cheesy, too cheery and too perfect. The real world just didn’t work that way.  
  
But as he sat on the couch, a warm drink in his hand, the woman he loved cuddled beside him, the best friend he had missed sitting in the chair across from him and a young man who had become like a son to him happily asleep on the floor near the tree, Peter couldn’t deny that he had finally gotten his happy Christmas ending.


End file.
